Achillea plant named ‘Pomegranate’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Achillea  plant named ‘Pomegranate’, characterized by its upright and mounding plant habit; strong and vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit with plants remaining in flower for a long period time; inflorescences with red purple-colored ray florets; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Achillea millefolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Pomegranate’.

CROSS-REFERENCED TO RELATED APPLICATIONS:

Title: Achillea Plant Named ‘Pink Grapefruit’.

Applicant: Elisabeth Sahin-Georgiadou.

Filed: Concurrently with this application U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/290,129.

Title: Achillea Plant Named ‘Saucy Seduction’.

Applicant: Elisabeth Sahin-Georgiadou.

Filed: Concurrently with this application U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/290,127.

Title: Achillea Plant Named ‘Sunny Seduction’.

Applicant: Elisabeth Sahin-Georgiadou.

Filed: Concurrently with this application U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/290,126.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Achillea plant, botanically known as Achillea millefolium, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Pomegranate’.

The new Achillea plant is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of Achillea millefolium ‘Summer Pastels’, not patented. The new Achillea plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Summer Pastels’ in 2003 in a controlled outdoor nursery environment in Alphen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands. The selection of this plant was based on its unique inflorescence coloration.

Asexual reproduction of the new Achillea plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Lancaster, Pa. since January, 2005, has shown that the unique features of this new Achillea plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Achillea have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Pomegranate’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Pomegranate’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Achillea:

-   -   1. Upright and mounding plant habit.     -   2. Strong and vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit with plants remaining in flower for a         long period time.     -   4. Inflorescences with red purple-colored ray florets.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Achillea differ from plants of the parent cultivar, ‘Summer Pastels’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Achillea are more compact than and not as         open as plants of ‘Summer Pastels’.     -   2. Plants of the new Achillea have larger inflorescences than         plants of ‘Summer Pastels’.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Achillea are red purple in         color whereas ray florets of ‘Summer Pastels’ are medium pink in         color.

Plants of the new Achillea differ primarily in ray floret coloration from plants of Achillea millefolium ‘Pink Grapefruit’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/290,129 filed concurrently; Achillea millefolium ‘Saucy Seduction’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/290,127 filed concurrently; and Achillea millefolium ‘Sunny Seduction’, disclosed in a U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 12/290,126 filed concurrently.

Plants of the new Achillea can also be compared to plants of Achillea millefolium ‘Heidi’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Lancaster, Pa., plants of the new Achillea differed from plants of ‘Heidi’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Achillea were more upright than and not as         open as plants of ‘Heidi’.     -   2. Plants of the new Achillea were stronger and sturdier than         plants of ‘Heidi’.     -   3. Plants of the new Achillea and ‘Heidi’ differed in ray floret         color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Achillea. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Achillea.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Pomegranate’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Pomegranate’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Lancaster, Pa. during the spring in one-gallon containers in a polyethylene-covered greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Achillea production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 18° C. to 27° C. and night temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 18° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical seven-month old flowering plants. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Achillea millefolium ‘Pomegranate’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation Achillea     millefolium ‘Summer Pastels’, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About two to four days at 29° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About 12 to 14 days at 29°             C.         -   Root description.—Medium in thickness, fleshy; white in             color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; moderately dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Upright and mounding plant habit.             Strong and sturdy plants; vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 37 cm.         -   Plant diameter or spread.—About 29 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching habit             with about 11 to 12 lateral branches developing per plant;             pinching is typically not required. Length: About 30 cm.             Diameter: About 5 mm. Internode length: About 1.8 cm.             Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong, sturdy. Texture:             Tomentose. Color: Close to 148B. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 8 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.7 cm.         -   Shape.—Lanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Very finely dissected giving a fern-like and             feathery appearance.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Pubescent.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             146A. Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to 137A;             venation, close to 137B. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: Close to 137B; venation, close to 146B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Flowering arrangement and habit.—Rotate composite             inflorescence form; inflorescences arranged in terminal or             axillary compound cymes. Freely flowering habit with about             525 inflorescences developing per lateral branch.             Inflorescences positioned above the foliage and face upright             to outwardly.         -   Fragrance.—Not detected.         -   Time to flower.—Long flowering period, under natural season             conditions, plants flower throughout the summer; plants that             are cut back will reflower.         -   Post-production longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good             substance for about ten days on the plant; inflorescences             persistent.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 8 mm. Diameter: About 3 mm.             Shape: Ovoid. Color: Close to 158B.         -   Cyme size.—Diameter: About 5.5 cm by 6 cm. Height: About 4.8             cm.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 8 mm by 10 mm. Depth             (height): About 8 mm. Disc diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Receptacle diameter: About 5 mm. Receptacle height: About             3 mm. Receptacle shape: Ovoid. Receptacle color: Close to             144D.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Rounded obovate. Apex: Emarginate. Base:             Attenuate. Length: About 8 mm. Width: About 4 mm. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous.             Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About five in a             single whorl. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to             162D; towards the margins, close to 185C. When opening,             lower surface: Close to 158B. Fully opened, upper surface:             Close to 59B; color becoming closer to 78C with development.             Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 75D; color becoming             more grey than 84C with development.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed in the center of the             receptacle. Shape: Tubular; apex, five-pointed. Length:             About 5 mm. Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Number of disc florets             per inflorescence: About 15. Color, immature: Apex: Close to             160B. Mid-section: Close to 145D. Base: Close to 157A.             Color, mature: Apex: Lighter than 173D. Mid-section: Close             to 145D. Base: Close to 157C.         -   Phyllaries.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18 in about             four whorls. Length: About 2 mm. Width: About 1.5 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate, fused. Margin:             Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth; glabrous. Texture,             lower surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to             145B. Color, lower surface: Close to 146D.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 9 mm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 3 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About             5.2 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm. Strength: Strong. Aspect:             Mostly upright to about 45° from vertical. Texture:             Pubescent. Color: Close to 146C.         -   Reproductive organs (present on disc florets             only).—Androecium: Quantity of stamens per disc floret:             About five. Filament length: About 2 mm. Filament color:             Close to 145D. Anther shape: Rounded. Anther length: Less             than 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 12A. Pollen amount:             Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 12A. Gynoecium: Quantity of             pistils per disc floret: One. Pistil length: About 5 mm.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: Close to 10B. Style             length: About 2 mm. Style color: Close to 145D. Ovary color:             Close to 145C.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Achillea have not been     shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Achillea. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Achillea have been observed to     have good garden performance and tolerate wind, rain and     temperatures ranging from about −20° C. to about 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct Achillea plant named ‘Pomegranate’ as illustrated and described. 